The weather over recent days has seemed brutal at times, with icy cold conditions resulting in slippery roads and pavements.

This, of course, has made getting out and about very difficult.

Travelling on roads first thing in the morning has certainly proved to be a bit of a battle.

Gritters have been out and about, although at times it didn’t seem to make any difference, as it rained and then the temperature dropped suddenly, making road and pavement surfaces hazardous.

It seems that many pavements were left untreated by council staff – mainly because they were working flat out to grit main roads and paths leading to health centres and other important buildings.

If your road or pavement wasn’t treated and you’re feeling a little miffed, you might be interested to know that Renfrewshire Council is responsible for maintaining a whopping 800 kilometres of routes.

And, as we know, council resources are stretched, so maybe we could help ourselves a bit more. If we are able, we could grit the pavement outside our own home.

If everyone managed to do a little, a lot could be achieved.

Grit bins are made available to help us do this.

I remember one occasion when I spoke with a man who I thought was in charge of a group of council workers who were clearing snow and ice off the pavements in Erskine, only to find out he was actually overseeing a group who were carrying out community service as part of a punishment.

Maybe this is something that should be happening on a regular basis. After all, these people have to pay back the community for something they shouldn’t have done in the first place – and we can benefit from some positive action.

In the meantime, if all else fails, you could call the council and ask them to grit your road or pavement when conditions make it impossible to get over the front door.